Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-05-13

CsOl lltCu tuclo do 1 ID Oul all. u0I0
is now living there the widow of James
A. Strain, whose maiden name was Miss
Byzantine Leech. She was a sister of
Bolivar Leech. She has two good farms
and is well to do. She was not widow
October 10, 1885. I think her husband
did not die until November. There are
but two families of Strains there and
neither has M. S. Strain in it. [ dom It
think there was any widow Strain in Oc-
tober, 1856. 1 have been to Brownsburg
as late as two months. ago.
james A. Frazier, put on the stand by
the defence. I have lived the greater part
of my life in Rockbridge. [ know the
widow of James A. Strain. She is we'll
off and owns two farms. think her hus-
band died about a year or eighteen months
ago. She is lady in good circumstances.
I know of no M. S. Strain 10 that neigh
borhood,
Col. J. G. ShieIds.-I knew James A.
Strain and think he died about two years
ago. The circumstances of his widow are
of the very best, and include the owner
ship of some very fine farms. [ know of
no M. S. Strain in that neighborhood.
Judge W. A.. Hudson.-I know Nc
Combs circumstances IN October and No
yember 1885. He was then as solvent as
any man in Augusta. bave often loaned
him money and would have taken his en-
dorsement on note of from $4,000 to
Sis 900. l have endorsed his paper myself
Have known him for twelve years and
have never heard his character impeached.
He has stood as high as any man in Au-
gusta. I would have advanced him money
ON any note with his name or it without
inquiry.
Ja8aes Il. McCo,aab, the defendant, was
put on the stand. got this note signed
M. S. Strain from Cliuedinst & Bodell. l
saw Mr.. Murphy and told him that it was
represented to nae that the signer was
Mrs. Strain near New Providence. Cline
dinst & Bodell owed me money and offered
me notes to choose from to secure myself.
picked this note out from among others.
I had been to Mrs. Strains near New
Providence, and when they told me it was
her note knew she was good for the
money. They said the note was for work
done for her. told Murphy no more
than G. u B. told me. [ didn't know
Mrs. Strains first name and 1 thought
that the signer was the Mrs. Strain that
I knew. and they told me she was. had
no reason to disbelieve what they said
about it; l wouldn't have taken the note
If I had. They gave me this note because
they owed me money. They said, You
know this lady. she lives at New Provi-
dence and her post Office is Brownsburg. :"
I said [ did know her and that had bad
business with her and her husband. 1
was satisfied from the description q. & B.
gave Of the lady that it was the Mrs.
Strain knew. I selected the note out of
the batch they gave me to select from. be-
cause thought it was good.
Cross Examined. October / was
worth from SIS, 1000 to $4,000. I had no
suspicion at the time L received it, that
the note was anything but genuine and
given to g. & B. by Mrs. Strain. 1 knew
they had been out selling their work in
that country. Murphy never came to NE;
If he had pressed it would have paid it.
told Murphy that G. & b told me that
Mrs. Strain was good. Did not know or
have any suspicion that the note was
bogus. never said to z. H. Trout that
a list of notes of G. Il B. were good.
Trout never showed me list in the office
Of Lynn. did not know that the notes of
Pence, Airhart. Maph1s. and Hamilton,
were bogus.
Mr.. Braxton.-How was it that you
were endorsing notes for Clinedinst &
Bodell?
The counsel for the defence objected to
this question and the objection was sus-
tanned.
Witness csaatinuing.-All the notes I en-
dorsed for Clinedinst &c Bodell were, they
told me, for work done and were good. 1
have heard since that many of the notes
were bogus. l was not endorsing the notes
and sharing the profits made no charge
for endorsing. They sometimes gave me
something for doing it, but it was not
stipulated that they should. 1 did not
know that they were forging my name to
notes. There was note for $65 at the
Augusta National Bank; my attention was
called to my name on it., and l said l was
not certain It was my signature. But
saw Clinedinst afterwards and remember
ed that I had endorsed the note. said at
hn 70 Mr. Of ha hot
it was forgery, but L found out after
wards that l had signed it. 1 don 'treme NJ
Der j. A. Fauver telling me that his name
on note was forgery. 1 remember stating
to Mr.. Tinsley after q. 81 B. had run off
that they had left behind them paper with
my name forged on it. 1 didn't state to
Kidston Carr shortly before G. Il B. left,
that l was getting into deep water and
when it got to the jumping off place [
would make over my property and get
married. l don't remember taking to j.
A. Fauver note with his name on it,
and his denouncing it as forgery and my
afterwards telling him IF J that the note
had been paid.
Mr.. Braxton.-Did you not sell to S. M.
Wilkes number of notes, land afterwards,
admitting that they were bogus, go to
Wilkes and give your individual note for
the whole amount of them2
The counsel for the defense objected
and the court ruled the question out
Mr.. Braxton.-Didn'G you tell A. b..
Lightner shortly after G. & b. left town
that you knew they couldn't hold out.
The defense objected to this question
and the court ruled it out.
Mr.. Braxton protested against this line
of ruling which, he said, would make it
impossible to lay the foundation for i'm
parchment Of the witness. This witness
was on the stand as any other witness,